I won the 10 to 4!

So this last weekend was Kenya's biggest mountain bike race, the 10 to 4. I did the 50km last year when I was 5 months pregnant so it was really cool to be able to go and race it properly this year. Although this year it had a new format, it was a 2 day race. Saturday was a tough 90kms with 2000m of climbing and Sunday was 70kms, most of which was downhill with only 600m of climbing, hence the name: From 10000feet to 4000feet down the slopes of Mt Kenya.
On Sunday I was lying second for the first 40kms...I'd been riding with the girl in first place for the first 10kms but she dropped me on one of the climbs. Then Benedikt passed me (he and many others had been sent the wrong way early on in the race) just as I was about to catch up to her. So I sat on his wheel and we positively flew passed Joyce. Poor girl! I didnt see her again and she finished quite a while after me, so I think she cooked it on those first few climbs. I was happy with my ride, and very happy to have won. I don't think its because I'm speedy gonzales or anything, I think its more because only a handful of girls took part!
On the Sunday I had another girl in front of me for the first 5kms then I passed her and didnt see another girl the whole day. So I finished first again and won the event overall - WOOHOO!!
Prize giving, which was an irritating FOUR HOURS later was funny as I went I up four times! The first time it was to collect Benedikt's prize of coming third in the one day event (his first day didnt count after the route fiasco), then I went up to collect the Queen of the Mountains prize. (They'd recorded the riders times at the bottom and the top of one of the climbs) I got a camel back and a QOM t shirt. Then I went up for winning Saturday's 'hardcore' event - I got a bottle & a bottle cage plus a fancy fleece. Then I went up finally as winner of the 'extreme' event overall! I won 30k plus a trophy. So all v worth waiting for :-)


We had another fantastic weekend at Borana lodge which is basically a 5 star lodge - they accommodate us cyclists every year at a reduced rate as they are very involved in the race. We took our nanny with us as both of us were riding and she was just amazing. Wow, we have a great nanny. She laughs all the time and just LOVES Nic to bits. She is also very sensible and careful and does everything I ask to the smallest detail. Plus, she is well mannered and grateful to us for anything we do for her. Nicolas just adores her. His face lights up when she arrives in the mornings. I never want to lose her!
Anyway, we chilled at the pool a lot of the time we werent riding. We ate like royalty (I had DIVINE vegan meals each night) and drank a fair amount too :-)